


Something on your mind

by Mariavcwrites



Category: Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, Fix-It of Sorts, Post-Canon, Time Jump, deanoru - Freeform, future deanoru as it should be, it's all the missing pieces, minor mentions of violence and death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 16:08:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21811000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mariavcwrites/pseuds/Mariavcwrites
Summary: This is Nico Minoru's road to leaving Karolina behind, and what it took to find each other again. After Gert's death, the team is left completely broken. Nico closes up and focuses on finding a way to control her dark magic. Eventually they do confirm that there's no leaving each other. This is in canon with what happened on the show to a point, but it fills a lot of missing pieces that we should have had.
Relationships: Karolina Dean/Nico Minoru, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 214





	Something on your mind

Nico and and Karolina were there first ones to get to Chase. They were the closest. Also Molly, but she can’t move or do anything for a second. The whole floor is covered in blood. Gert’s blood, and Nico has to crawl around it. She can’t quite stand up because there’s something that still hurts. Maybe she cracked something. She doesn’t really care.

The pain from losing Amy never really left, and she just lost her dad. 

Now it’s happening again. She can’t breath. Her heart is being crushed but this sight, and looking at Chase doesn’t help. He looks like the entire world was ripped from his hands. His entire life is gone.

Nico can’t blame him. Looking up allows her to see Karolina standing next to Chase. She’s crying, but she’s there. She’s alive.

If this had happened to Karolina, Nico would have died right there with her.

And it still could.

Nico looks back to Chase and Gert. This is her fault. She brought all of this. She still might bring more pain and misery to their lives.

Then she can’t quite hold it anymore. She sobs and cries and almost crumbles to the floor. But then she feels arms around her body, pulling her back up. At first she wants to think that it’s Karolina, but she’s still in front of her, burying her face against Leslie’s neck, her chest rises and falls uncontrollably. She’s also breaking down right now.

Nico is in Tina’s arms.

Her mother pulls her away from the scene as the Yorkes and Molly gather around Chase and Gert.

Nico can’t really hear anything. It’s all noise and cries and people yelling.

She decides that Karolina has the right idea, and hugs her mother back. She doesn’t want to look anymore. Gert shouldn’t be dead. None of this should have happened. How can she live like this? How could Karolina still love her after this?

And Chase and Molly… she did this to them.

“Come on Nico, let’s get you to your room” Tina says.

She doesn’t register much, just that it still hurts when she walks, or… breathes. 

She has her eyes still closed but the sounds are still there. It breaks her heart in a million pieces. Even Old Lace is roaring in pain.

“You are the strongest person that I’ve ever known” Tina says, her voice breaking a little “Nico, you have to be strong right now. For you, for Karolina, for Chase and Molly. You need each other right now”

But how-

“Nico…”

That makes her open her eyes.

It’s Karolina. Sweet, beautiful, Karolina.

She looks just as broken, but Nico still recognizes how her expression lightens up a little when she looks at her. How can she? How can Karolina still look at her with so much love in her eyes when she doesn’t deserve it?

Leslie is there, too. She’s comforting her daughter “I’m so sorry. Gert was incredibly brave. What she did, saved the entire world. Her path was always one of light-“

Nico scoffs “Come on…”

Karolina immediately grabs her mother’s arm “Could you give us a minute?”

Tina nods at Leslie “I think that Stacey and Dale need our help right now”

Leslie nods, squeezing her daughter’s hand one last time before leaving them.

Nico has completely shut down. She has her own arms wrapped around her middle as she cries, bent down a little, looking like she’s struggling just stand there.

Karolina has seen this before. At Amy’s funeral. Back then it broke her heart as she looked from the distance. She wanted to run and comfort Nico, but they weren’t as close as the others. She thought that it was just what they had taught her at the church, her first instinct was to be compassionate, to help others, but maybe she just loved her back then, Karolina’s heart was screaming that she wanted to love.

They were way too young then.

But now she can do something about it.

She pulls Nico against her chest, untangles her arms to make Nico hug her back. It works. The small girl, always so strong willed, never fails to come undone in Karolina’s arms. Now it’s very important that she doesn’t let Nico shut her out, because she knows what she’s thinking. She knows that she’s blaming herself.

* * *

MINUTES EARLIER

Karolina doesn’t move when her mother grabs her hand. The scene is heartbreaking. Chase is not letting go of Gert’s body, and Dale is trying to stop Molly for coming closer.

This can’t be happening.

She looks at Nico, crying in Tina’s arms and Karolina wants to be there. For a second she forgets about her own pain, because Nico is there, completely broken after losing so much.

And Karolina knows that she could have lost her tonight. Morgan almost had Nico for a second, until she stepped in and protected her with her light. She could literally feel Nico’s life slipping out of her fingers and she should have been stronger. Nico was carrying the burden of protecting them on her own. She had been doing it for months, and Karolina let her. She should had fought harder. Now Nico will blame-

Oh no.

“Karolina” Leslie insists “We need to give them space”

She let’s her mother guide her back to her bedroom. Her and Nico’s. It feels like a lifetime ago that we were able to share a quiet moment in here.

“How are you feeling?” Leslie asks.

Karolina sighs, and wipes a few tears off her face “Gert is dead”

Leslie swallows “You kids should have never been thrown into all of this. It’s all our fault”

Karolina shakes her head “Someone like Morgan… I feel like she would have found a way to show up anyway. With no one to stop her” She sits on the bed.

“Still. You have lost so much”

“I still have a family. And Nico…”

Leslie gives her a sad smile “What about what we discussed before?”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen now. Morgan is defeated. Jonah is gone. I don’t think we have to… do this anymore. Nico can choose to have something different”

“You mean to choose you”

“Well, yeah… I know I’m choosing her. I love her. I can fight harder to help her. And together we can help our family. Chase and Molly need us more than anything right now”

“You really thing that I can just go back to how it was? You kids here… I mean I think it’s… nice. I’m so happy that you found people, and love. But Karolina, there’s still a lot ahead of you guys”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean the future. You have to have dreams, college, seeing the world, maybe even a family of your own”

“You didn’t mention the church”

Leslie strokes Karolina’s cheek softly “I think we’re way past the point of us having a say in what you kids want. Karolina I just want you to be happy. For all the pain that we brought into your lives, you deserve to make your own path and be happy”

“I’m happy… with Nico, and our family. We haven’t figured out what we want yet because there wasn’t a lot of time to do that between fighting aliens and witches. But we will figure it out together”

Leslie nods, but then looks up to see Nico and Tina walking inside the room.

That makes Karolina turn around.

“Nico…”

* * *

It’s very early in the morning when the house has finally calmed down.

There are no more screams, and yells and Nico can’t even hear Old Lace.

She doesn’t know what happened. She must have fallen asleep for a couple hours. Nico just knows that she’s in Karolina’s arms, on their bed.

It’s been a long time since they were here just like this, holding each other. No pain. No secrets.

Nico is curled up in a ball, and Karolina’s warm body is wrapped around her. She’s always been so warm, as opposed to Nico that always has cold hands and you know… a cold everything.

Karolina would say that it’s not true. That she has a good heart. That she’s good. Karolina just loves like that, seeing the best in her every day. She’s just so… good. She never did anything wrong to deserve to be cursed with this love. Because Nico will never doubt about the way Karolina feels.

She just said it. She’ll never give up on her, which is exactly the problem. Karolina won’t leave. She won’t stop, even if it hurts her, even if in her deepest, darkest dreams she still sees Nico as a monster.

And Nico will know it. Love is not enough to beat this. Love is not enough to keep Karolina safe, and as long as she stays she’ll be miserable, just waiting for the moment when she ruins everything just like she did now. No matter how scared she is of her, Karolina will stay, and will do everything to make her happy, even if she’s not. Nico can’t even handle that thought. Every night in her arms would be torture, because that fear will never leave them.

Even less if Nico doesn’t even know how to handle her power.

She has to figure something out. Maybe her mother can help. Someone in the world has to be able to help. Who knows… maybe one day they can find each other again.

There’s no leaving each other after all.

But that train of thought is interrupted though, in the quiet of the house Nico can clearly hear a small sob coming from Karolina.

She immediately turns around to face her girlfriend, it’s barely dawn out there, so there’s not much light, but Nico can still see those blue eyes that make her doubt everything. All her plans are forgotten for a moment, because she could just stay and look at those eyes here, forever.

Karolina swallows “I’m sorry. Did I wake you up?”

“Not really”

“So there’s something on your mind” Karolina says softly, she moves her hand to strokes Nico’s arm.

The warmth touch on her cold skin feels amazing. How could she ever be able to live without this?

“You’re so cold”

“I know. I’m sorry”

Karolina smiles, she doesn’t really look happy, but this is what she does. She puts everyone else before her, and Nico even more. She’ll always have a smile, or a kiss, or a comforting word… or she’ll even give her an earful if she needs one.

All of that makes Nico smile a little.

“I mean it’s a cold night. You don’t have alien powers. That’s why you have a girlfriend that can always warm you up”

“Yeah… that’s why” Nico’s voice breaks a little.

“Nico…”

Nico sobs “Talk to me. I just heard you…”

“It’s just… hard” Karolina can’t even say more before sobbing again. 

Nico pulls her into her arms “I know. I know”

“How are we going to be able to just wake up, leave this room, see Molly and Chase” as Karolina speaks, Nico starts breaking down again. “Nico…”

“This is all my-“

Karolina doesn’t even let her speak before she quickly pulls her head back and then crashes her lips against Nico’s. It’s so soft. Just to shut her up and bring her back from that dark place.

But she can’t do that for the rest of their lives, can she?

“I’m not letting you go there” Karolina whispers just after she stops the kiss, but still just inches away from Nico, with her hands firmly around her head. “We have to be strong for our family now”

“Our family…”

“And maybe… after some time we can figure out what we want to do”

Nico frowns, still trying to hold back some tears.

“Yeah… in the future” Karolina continues “Together” then she kisses Nico again.

That hurts more than any wound in Nico’s body.

* * *

In the morning Molly has left with the Yorkes, and all they find is Victor Stein, taking care of Chase after giving him a sedative. Alex is with them.

Old Lace is nowhere to be found, and downstairs… the huge stain of Gert’s blood remains.

It makes Nico’s skin crawl.

“I will take care of this” Karolina offers. She does that thing where every time she leaves Nico’s side, she grabs her arm and then holds onto her, stretching her own arm out as long as she can. 

Nico loves Karolina for all those smalls details.

“I can help with that” Alex says, running past Nico and joining Karolina after she brings towels, a mop and a couple of buckets with water.

“I have to go to Tina” Is all Nico says.

“What? Why? Is everything ok?” Karolina asks, stopping what she’s doing. She was soaking another red towel in one of the buckets.

Nico swallows “The staff is still dangerous. My magic… I want all of this sorted out and behind us”

Karolina smiles at that “I can come with you if you want”

Nico does her best to fake a smile “It’s fine. It won’t take long. I have to do this”

“I understand” Karolina stands up, she doesn’t try to go for a hug because her hands are still stained red. “I’ll be right here” She adds, and she doesn’t mean just here at the house. She doesn’t want Nico dealing with things on her own anymore.

Nico nods “I love you”

Only after Nico is gone, Alex finally speaks “I know that you want her to open up, but with Nico…”

“She just needs time”

“Karolina, I don’t think that you can just change her”

“I know. But she can change herself. She can choose her path away from all the bad things that happened”

* * *

“Kamar-Taj” Tina offers.

“That sounds… far” Nico says, frowning.

“It’s the only place where a magic like yours could be harnessed. It’s the place where all the sorcerers in the world go to learn and train if they choose to”

“Where is it?”

“It’s in the Himalayas” Tina says, and then adds when she sees Nico looking down “And I’m afraid only apprentices and practitioners of magic are allowed to even see the place”

Nico looks up again “But Karolina…”

“I’m sorry Nico. I’m sure she would follow you, but it’s just not possible”

Nico sighs “Have you been to this place?”

Tina nods “Before your father. Before I chose to live a life away from magic”

Nico shakes her head “But you still had the staff, and you did magic…”

“I mean, a couple of simple spells just to fulfill Pride’s needs. Nico… I never had a power like yours. I took the staff to keep it protected. And yes, I will admit that the power is tempting and that I might have abused it a little for my benefit-”

“Or a lot”

“-But ultimately. I gave up that life for a different one”

“Which you lost”

Tina sighs, but then stretches her arm across her desk to grab Nico’s arm “It gave me more happiness than anything. And I still have you, Nico. It was all worth it”

Nico lets her mother hold her hand. “What are you trying to tell me?”

“That you, too, have a choice to make right now”

She pauses for a moment. She knows that she wants it. A life with Karolina would be a dream. But what kind of life would Karolina have with her?

“You said it yourself. You never had a power like this. And I can’t even control it. Every second that I spend with them, I’m putting their lives at risk”

“Nico, no. Morgan is defeated-“

“Yeah but then what? Morgan wasn’t the only evil out there, was she? They wouldn’t have a whole Himalayas Hogwarts if they weren’t preparing for something”

“But it shouldn’t be your burden to carry”

“Can I get rid of it?” Nico asks and Tina shakes her head “Then I think that it is”

* * *

It still takes her a few days to prepare.

Or at least that’s what she tells herself. 

The truth is… it takes a lot to be able to leave. She hasn’t even gathered the strength to tell Karolina. Nico knows that if she tells her it will break her heart. That she’ll ask her not to go and Nico can’t do anything but comply and do whatever Karolina wants.

And who knows how long is it going to take? Maybe as long as college?

Karolina wants to go to college. Nico can't take that away from her. She has so much hope for the future.

She should be able to have a future that doesn’t put her life in danger, or you know… where she doesn’t have to sleep next to a person that could become a monster any second.

Alex and them are the only ones sort of coming back to their normal lives a week after Gert’s death.

Geoffrey took him back, they started working on a project for a new company, tech focused. So Alex has been able to keep himself busy and coming back less and less to the house.

Then Molly is back, and the Yorkes are back with her. They have a plan that, if Chase doesn’t want to leave the house, then they’ll built a better house around Chase or something; and Karolina has been trying to take care of him, which have been a little difficult, but if someone is able to bring light to someone’s life. That’s Karolina. It also helped her keep busy.

When the Yorkes find Old Lace near the house, that’s the first time Chase ever comes out of his room.

And just like that, days keep passing. Life continues, and Nico realizes that it’s the perfect moment to do it. It’s now or never.

Every night she spends in Karolina’s arms takes a dent at her will.

“There’s something on your mind” Karolina says, just like she said the night that Gert died. And she’s right, because this is the same thought that never left Nico ever since that moment.

Nico sighs, she’s sitting on their bed as Karolina puts on her night gown. “I have to see Tina tomorrow”

Karolina frowns “Everything ok with her?”

“No… yeah. I mean. She’s been working on helping me understand the staff more and just-“

“I haven’t seen that thing in a while”

Nico nods “I rather have it locked away”

“Then how are you trying to train with it?”

“I mean… first with my own magic. Keep myself under control”

Karolina smiles and then joins Nico on their bed, she starts crawling over Nico, making the witch fall back to the mattress “Well, I’m really good at keeping you under control”

Nico smiles “Sure as hell you are” she moves one hand up to grab Karolina’s hair.

She can have one last night, right? She can have this.

It’ll break Karolina, but at least their last memory together will be a good one.

Maybe she’ll be back soon and after a bit of yelling they can just… get back together.

She wants to have this.

So Nico finally pulls Karolina’s head down to kiss her desperately enough that it takes the blonde a few seconds to catch up.

And soon they are both naked, in their own world, making love like it’s the last time.

Which it sort of is… at least for some time.

Except that Karolina doesn’t know it.

“I love you more than anything” Nico says “We’ll always find each other” then she seals her promise with a kiss.

Karolina doesn’t hear much of it in her bliss. She just lets Nico take care of her body. She knows it perfectly. They know each other perfectly.

Life could be like this forever, no matter where it brings them.

Except that the next day it isn’t.

Except that the next day it’s Karolina’s turn to feel her world falling apart slowly.

It wasn’t like it happened for Chase. Gert was yanked out of his life.

This is… torture. She just knows that something is wrong when she wakes up the next morning, naked and alone.

There’s a note on their bed.

_“I love you more than my own life, that’s why I need to do this, It’s the only way that I don’t end up hurting you”_

Then why does it hurt so bad right now?

She has to find a way to fix this.

She failed again. She failed to help Nico.

She completely ignores Chase and Molly on her way out to see Tina.

* * *

“I’m so sorry Karolina. It broke my heart to see how much it hurt her to leave” Tina explains, with genuine tears in her eyes.

“Where? To leave where! I can stop her”

“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t even be able to see the place. It’s-“

“Magic? I’m so done with all of that bullshit!” She’s not really used to curse, but right now she feels like getting all that out, and breaking everything “There has to be a way to stop her… to… to tell her” Karolina says, pacing, grabbing her own hair desperate for a way to fix this whole thing.

“There’s no way to communicate with her right now, but it’s not forever…”

“How long then? Why did she leave without saying goodbye?”

Tina swallows, it also breaks her heart to see this poor girl completely broken in front of her “I suppose it was too hard”

“Yeah… yeah. It is hard. I would know about it. I would-“ she sobs “You know what? This is pointless. She was never going to change. She was never going to let me in anyway”

“Karolina…”

“I think I need to leave”

“You think that she left you behind right now. But she only did this because she cares so much. You might have been the only person that she actually let in”

That finally breaks her. She starts crying there. She cries and cries in Tina Minoru’s arms for minutes. But this is not fixing anything.

Nico is gone.

Her world is shattered.

And it does take a long time.

Because first she goes home hoping that Nico will change her mind. That a few days missing each other will break her will just as much as it’s breaking Karolina right now.

But what about… what if she’s in danger? She’s still dealing with dark magic that none of them understand. What if she’s hurt somewhere?

Soon, Molly starts coming up to check on her.

It’s not fair. She’s too young and should be trying to get her life back, not handling two idiots with their hearts broken.

And maybe Nico will be done in a few months and come back, and then they’ll fight and then they’ll be together again.

So Karolina does what she does best. She puts others first. She takes care of Molly. She takes care of Chase. She helps the Yorkes paint the house and bring new furniture. She helps Victor set a lot of tech in the house, at Chase’s request.

But none of that helps in the long, cold nights.

She starts feeling cold, which is weird.

Deep down she knows it.

It’s been a year.

She has to move on.

Part of her wants to go far away. Now she knows that Nico is somewhere in the Himalayas. But she’s not wasting her time.

She decides to stay in California. She loves it there and she can still share time with her family.

It’s a good life.

She decided to start a psychology major, she had some other interest but this also helps her cope and understand more of the things that went down in her life. It also helps her heal her family.

And it does help her move on.

She’s ready to start a new life when Julie appears in her life.

But this is different.

It’s a decision, and it’s good. It’s healthy love.

With Nico it was always out of her control. She could never escape it. It was like a storm, and it hurt, but it also made her feel alive and desired and happy. Back then, she was convinced that Nico was her soulmate, if such a thing even existed, but it had to be her, even even after healing of those wounds, she’s not quite sure that she’ll ever stop feeling like that.

But that’s life. That’s how it was supposed to be, and Nico Minoru never came back to her.

* * *

It’s funny to think that the others saw someone strong in her, sort of a leader. She knew that they didn’t want to put that burden on her, but still deep down she gave them hope every time she fought hard for their lives.

And it was fine. She had all that power, and the least she could do was protect her family.

But for someone with all that power, she can be a huge coward.

Her training was completed, but she still decided to stay for months. First in Kamar-Taj, then just backpacking through Asia, she even got to meet people, but she was never able to actually try to be with someone.

She only ever wanted Karolina Dean, and she still left her like a coward.

And now she’s scared of coming back like a bigger coward.

It’s been three years. How could she just come back? She knows that Karolina is in college. She must have moved on.

Although, she’s secretly and selfishly hoping that she didn’t. That somehow Karolina still loves her.

Maybe she can ease this out. Go back, get in contact with the others first, maybe try to see what Karolina is up to, become friends again, see where it goes? Or maybe it’s just better to get the band back together. It’s about time. And that way Karolina wouldn’t find out last that she’s back.

She rents an apartment in LA with a plan, it’s not very solid but it’s what she’s got right now. At least, even if they don’t get together, they can be friends. She’s not going to hurt anyone. She did what she had to do right?

A day doesn’t go by without Nico thinking about it, still wondering if she made the right decision. And right now she’s not so sure.

But then… Alex Wilder is at her door, trying to kill her jus before she has time to fix things.

Not cool.

But also kind of optimistic on his part.

When Chase comes that’s when things take an interesting turn.

Nico does get to see Karolina back that same day, the only problem is that she also finds out what Karolina has been up to.

Seeing her back at the hostel was painful enough. Especially because she could see that it was hard for Karolina too. She doesn’t speak to her, she doesn’t even look at her. And Nico can’t even blame her. She brought this on herself, and Julie seems nice. It’s been three years, it’s not like she expected-

Oh, but she wanted it.

And she’s not totally thinking straight right now, so that’s why when Chase reveals her plan to save Gert, she gets another idea.

But just after Alex explains what is going to happen with their lives Karolina speaks.

“I think the way we feel about each other will stay the same”

“And we will be stronger for it” Nico says.

She’s not quite sure about what Karolina meant but she knows that she’s angry.

In Karolina’s defense Nico did just said that they would have been miserable, but it wasn’t like that it was just… she would have been dangerous, she would have put Karolina’s life in danger and she couldn’t just live with that fear.

She was an idiot.

And Alex is right. If Gert doesn’t die she might never leave and learn to control her powers and that would just bring them back to danger. But all of them are willing to do it, and this is a chance at saving Gert’s life and… maybe, just maybe she made the wrong choice three years ago.

* * *

It feels good to work as a team again. Morgan doesn’t even seem that scary anymore. Karolina knows that they can win, this is not the problem. But some of them will lose after tonight. It’s all back, and suddenly she’s this kid again that has too much faith in Nico, that walks by her side, that knows that Nico’ll do anything to protect her. Which is what she thought that she was doing when she left. 

She’s such and idiot, and so stubborn and annoying… especially for such a small person.

But Karolina still loves her.

She was aware of all the red flags when she agreed to come to this. She knew that whatever happens, her life with Julie could get erased. She knew that on some level she wanted it. She just decided to ignore it because it felt like a betrayal, and it is, no matter how much Karolina tries to ignore it. It’s wrong.

But then… she did tell Nico that she was never going to give up on her, and that was true. Why couldn’t Nico just believe her? She could have also fought harder for them. She just ran away.

_“I just wanted you to know that I’ve- I’ve noticed”_

_“I never will give up on you”_

Nico only ever was vulnerable like this in front of her. She was scared that night. She thought that it was up to her to save everyone.

And then Gert died.

_“Everything is gonna be okay, I promise”_

But it wasn’t okay, was it?

She remembers doing that thing, where she would just hold onto Nico’s arms as she walked away from her. She liked to do that. She only ever did that with Nico, because it was almost a reflex, she never wanted to let go of her.

And now she’s right here.

“I gotta go”

“No!.. No, Nico no!”

But Nico leaves with one idea on her mind. She doesn’t care. She’s done way worse things than this. They aren’t just cheating death tonight. She’s fixing everything. She just needed someone to tell her to not be afraid. Whatever they are going to lose is nothing in comparison to what they already lost.

And Karolina just watched her go. She actually sees her following the other Nico.

It was the first thing that Chase told them not to do. But leave it to Nico to break all the rules and do whatever. That’s one of the things that she loved about her, and she loved to try to balance it out. It was a challenge, it was just… great. She knew her so well. She still does. She knows why Nico is following her younger self right now.

It will fix it. It’s Nico’s own way to show her that she regrets it. She could still read it on her face. They were just too scared, and there’s always an alien or a witch or a murderous time traveller. But right now Nico Minoru decided to cheat destiny for them, and Karolina is fine with that. It will take the pain away. And she stills feel guilty, but that’s going away too, right? She’s allowed to be selfish just this time.

* * *

And they win again.

Chase is able to defeat Morgan, and this time Gert lives. Their whole family lives this night. Even as they watch Chase die in Gerts arms, they know that it’ll be alright. He did it for love. He would have done anything. 

Just as Nico would.

He broke all the rules.

Just as Nico did.

“Before we go, Karolina. I have to say it” 

She’s sorry. She’s so sorry. She’s sorry about leaving. She’s sorry about being a coward. She’s sorry about breaking her heart. She’s even sorry about destroying her life with Julie. She’s sorry about being the worst thing that could have ever happened to Karolina’s life. 

But she does love her. And that’s the one thing that she can’t change.

“Don’t. Just… promise me you’ll find me. Wherever we are”

And it feels like those words are bringing her back to life in that moment. That Nico has been dead for three years until tonight.

“I will”

* * *

“There’s something on your mind” Karolina says that morning. The sun is already up, but it can’t be as bright as that smile.

They won. They survived this together.

And Nico gets to wake up in Karolina’s arms.

“Well, yeah. I had been thinking about talking to my mom. The staff really needs to get… sorted out. I don’t want to live fearing that… it could cause trouble again”

“Whatever happens. We’ll face it together” Karolina says and then kisses Nico’s cheek.

“There’s something else” Nico starts “I feel like Chase and Alex weren’t the only ones jumping through time?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. It’s… fuzzy but, I feel like I saw myself?”

Karolina raises her eyebrows and accomodates herself to support her arms on Nico’s chest, paying close attention to what she’s saying “Really? So you got yourself a visit from the ghost of Christmas yet to come?”

Nico smiles “I guess”

“Well. Chase came here to save Gert’s life. That I can understand. Alex… we have no idea, and you came to… talk?”

Nico raises her hand to stroke Karolina’s face. She has a feeling that Chase wasn’t the only onedoing this for love. She had this thought, this… fear that she could hurt Karolina if she stayed, but maybe there’s other way. Maybe Karolina is how she’s saved. Her light could guide her to something better.

“I don’t know. Maybe I needed to stop my stubborn ass from doing something really stupid”

“Oh… yeah in that case I can also understand that” Karolina teases and makes Nico chuckle.

“Maybe you can come with me to my mom’s house?”

“I would love to” Karolina says before kissing Nico.

* * *

"Kamar what?" Karolina asks. Confused. "Is it like hidden somewhere?"

"It's not that simple" Tina says "Only the ones that are able to wield magic are able to access it. It's a sacred place"

Nico frowns "I couldn't care less about how sacred it is. I'm not going to the Himalayas for who knows how long"

"Nico... if this is important..." Karolina starts.

"It is. But there has to be another way. Someplace else. Somewhere where I don't have to be like 10 thousand miles away from you... and our family"

"Nico, you can always have a choice" Tina says "When I was there, I realized that I wanted something different for my life"

"You still had the staff and had magic"

"Yes, but it was very different from what I could have been able to achieve there. It's... definitely a different thing"

"I don't care about the powers. I just care about hurting the people that I love" Nico says and then Karolina reaches for her hand.

"You would never hurt any of us. You would never hurt me, Nico"

Tina smiles at them "Look. I know that it's hard. Nico, you don't have to do it. I'm so proud of what you are and what you have accomplished. You all kids are capable of so many things. Maybe you don't need this place"

Then Nico looks at Karolina "Maybe I already have the place where I belong"

Tina continues after looking at them. It's clear that leaving like this would break Nico, and also Karolina. They have suffered enough already "We can keep looking for another option"

"I'll be with you every step of the way. We'll figure something out" Karolina says. Squeezing Nico's hand "But you need to do what you feel that is right"

Nico swallows and then nods "This is right. I just know it in my heart that I shouldn't leave. I just need... a little... light on my path"

Karolina smiles at her "It's a good thing we have that sorted out already"

* * *

THREE YEARS LATER.

Karolina does miss California, but this was a good compromise. Like between the Himalayas and New York… yeah New York is great. Columbia is great. They have good friends, and even Nico’s training has been going great.

Although she would have gone to live in the mountains for a few years if necessary. It would have been… romantic. Also it’s not like the cold affects her that much. Nico on the other hand…

“Move closerrr” Nico whines.

Karolina complies happily. She’s almost completely on top of her tiny girlfriend. But it’s winter. Nico hates the east coast winter. Fortunately they’ll soon go back home to spend the holidays with the others.

Meanwhile. Karolina has a temporary solution.

The room lights up in shades of pink and soft blue as she glows for Nico. When she lights up, she gets even warmer, and Nico loves it. Nico really loves every single detail about her and Karolina couldn’t be happier.

“Uhmm… that’s the stuff” Nico says, still half asleep.

“You need to wake up. It’s late. Strange said that he would see you at 10”

“Strange can politely fuck off” Nico mumbles and now Karolina laughs.

“Hey, maybe I can go to the Sanctum with you and he can send us straight to California. It could save us some hours that we can spend doing other things” She suggest, leaning down to kiss Nico.

“He got mad the last time. Said he’s not a travel agency remember?”

“I can be pretty convincing” She says as her glow fades away.

Nico sighs “Gosh, tell me about it”

Karolina smiles and then leaves the bed “I’ll get us started on breakfast” 

“I’ll help you in a minute”

“Or maybe shower first”

Nico finally opens her eyes “Or I can help you with that…”

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!!! This is me trying my hand at something new because I haven't been very inspired lately. I hope you like it and get all the feels and especially some fulfillment after the show had to rush a few things for the finale. This was just a little extra. Would love to read what you guys think :)


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